OurFestive SeasonLine-up

I was about 15… my father bought me my first telescope… I fell in love… when I saw Saturn… that was the greatest investment… my father wasn’t a man of means, but he realised he had a son spaced out on astronomy… he spent whatever money he could…

— Professor David Block

I’ve tried to be very disciplined… I put away an amount every year into a retirement annuity… It was the worst financial decision of my life… I was ripped off…

— Professor David Block

Money is not to be hoarded. It’s to be used as a mechanism to bless others…

This week he interviewed globally celebrated astronomer Professor David Block.

Professor Block is one of South Africa’s greatest-ever scientists.

Professor David Block was only 19 when he became a “Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society of London”.

He published his first research paper (on relativistic astrophysics nogal!) when he was 20.

David Block is to South Africa what Carl Sagan was to American astronomy – his pioneering discoveries are reshaping astronomical paradigms, and his imprint on human culture is a legacy to all South Africans as you build your future in the technological 21st century.

— John Kormendy, world-renowned US astronomer

What does Block believe about money?

Does it keep him up at night?

Does he spend like crazy or save compulsively?

How did his childhood experiences shape his views on money?

Listen to the interview in the audio below (and/or scroll down for more quotes from it).

The universe is an investment of extremely high risk… An investment by the Creator… I’m not alarmed by the greatness of space. The universe has to be as large as it is to contain a Bruce Whitfield or a David Block…

— Professor David Block

I’m not [an atheist]… I’m deeply committed to the idea that we’re living in a created universe… The universe began with the Big Bang some 14 or 15 billion years ago…

— Professor David Block

They [his parents] didn’t have money. I realised I would not repeat the same mistake… They really did struggle…

— Professor David Block

I want to be able to enjoy my life while I can… I love to travel… I have an absolute passion, weakness and addiction to old books… I’ve invested quite a lot of money over the years in old books…

— Professor David Block

The most important investment I’ve ever made is my house… a very sound, wise investment…